Hydraulic pumping apparatus



T. F. MOORE HYDRAULIC warms APPARATUS Dec. 6, 1932.

, Filed Nov. 26, 1928 I 9 v /v 4. vz a- ATTDRNEYS WI T/YESS %7 Patented 6, 1932 PATENT orrlcs THOMAS E. MOORE, O1 MORRIS ELAINS, NEW JERSEY HYDRAULIC PUMZPIHG AFPABA'IUS Application filed November 26, 1928. Serial No.'322,058.

This invention relates to apparatus involving the use of acentrifugal pump for removing water from marshes and other repositories preparatory to trenching and other excavations required for the construction of sewers, water mains, foundations for superstructures and other structural work and refers more particularly to means for maintaining a maximum. efiiciency of the pump under widely varying conditions of the work to be performed.

For example, in some cases it may be expedient or desirable to sink an indefinite number of well points ,into the water repositories along the line of the proposed excavations by jetting or otherwise and to connect these well points by a suction pipe which, in turn, is operatively connected to the suction side of a high powered centrifugal pump having its. delivery side connected to an outlet pipe leading to any proximal or remote place where the water is to be discharged away from the place of removal.

In other cases, it may be necessary or desirable to use'the apparatus to remove more or less shallowsurface water commonly known as open pumping as distinguished from the well point work, and the broad object of this present invention is to render the apparatus equally eflicient in both cases.

The main object, however, is to provide simple and efiicient means for automatically removing and excluding air from said pump while the latter is in operation so that the latter may maintaina maximum working efficiency under abnormal as well as under normal conditions, without recourse to admitting outside air to the interior of the connections between thev'acuum and centrifugal P I have found that this latter object may be most successfully carried out by the usual or conventional type of rotary vacuum pump of suitable capacity providing it is properly connected to the intake of the water pump.

I One of the objects, therefore, is to make these connections in such manner that the action of the vacuum pump may automatically and effectively prevent the accumulation of any a preciable quantity of air within the centri ugal pump while the latter is in. operation.

A further object is to provide means for preventing the passage of water from the intake of the centrifugal pump to the vacuum ump.

A further'object is to provide means for I preventing the transmission of any suction or partial vacuum produced by the centrifugal pum to the vacuum pump and thereby to avoid any possibility of drawing the priming water from the vacuum pump into the centrifugal pump.

Another object is to provide the intake of the centrifugal pump with a suitable bafile screen or. grid for preventing the passage therethrough of chips and other objects which might be detrimental to the operation of the pump.

A further object is to provide the intake of said pump with a suitable sump adjacent to and cooperating with the screen for re ceiving and temporarily retaining such objects as might impair the operation of the pump.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the apparatus will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure l is an elevation, partly in section and partly diagrammatic, showing the connections between the centrifugal pump and vacuum pump for carrying out the objects stated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken in the plane of line 3 -3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line 4-4, Figure 1, showing more particularly the port con trolled by the float valve.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood I have shown a conventional "form of centrifugal pump l of relatively large capacity and a vacuum pump 2 which may also be of the conventional rotary type such, for example, as what is commonly ample, as an .electric'm'otonnot shown,jhaving its armature shaft arconnected to the impeller of the pump 1 andpreferably extended, as shown',-by' dotted linesin Fig-J.

ure 1, for connection with the impeller of the vacuum pump 2 so that the impellers of both pumps may coaxial and, if de-. sired may, together with the motor, be" mounted in moreor less close proximity upon a "suitable supportingirame or base, not shown.

intake. pipe 3- leading from source-f water supplyis connected to the suction side of the pump -1-- and includes therein a T-section 4 having an; up: wardly'extending branch or stand pipe-+5- and ai-downwardly extending sump chamber- --6' as shown inv Figure 1 for"; purposes presentlyldescribedn Y I y a An. outlet pipe or conduit -7 -.1s connected to the'pressureside ofthe pump -1- and includes therein a valve chamber .8

containing a check valve -'-9-. which is :ar

ranged to permit the outflow of water throu h the pipe --7=- and to prevent the backow of water or. air to the pump, I

The stand pipe +5,-- constitutes a float chamber having its lower end permanently secured directly to the'top wall of the-T- section --4- ''or .connnunicationwith the interior thereofthrough an opening --9'-, Figure 1, -said .stand pipe being extended upwardly from the section 4- apredetermined distance above the level of the pump 1 and is provided at its upper end with a cap section 10 which is bolted or other wise secured thereto and has a central suction port and valve seat -11-.

This port -11-- is connected by a pi e or conduit '-'12 to the suction side of t e vacuum pump -2-. which serves to maintain a suflicient vacuum or suction in the pump -1- for priming pur oses at all times during the operation thereo it bein understood that this constant priming con 'tionis necessary to obtain a maximum efliciency of thepump.

The vacuum pump ..2- may beprimed in any suitable manner and at such times as may be required to increase its working efliciency.

' "The pipe connection -12- is provided with a valve section -.13.- containing a check valve '-14-- which is arranged to permit the flow of air from the centrifugal pump --1-- through the stand pipe 5+- to the vacuum"pump-+-2- and to prevent the backfiow of air or water from the vacuum pump 'into the stand pipe.

The intermediate portion of the stand pipe sage of (water from the suction con within'said stand pip'e forgifi a -5 is connected by relativelg small pipes --15 to the top portions 0 the suction shoulders of the centrifugal pump case to allow any air which may pass through the conduits 3 and -4- into said-pump to bewithdrawn through the pipes -15 into the stand pipeg and thence outwardly through the vacuum pump and thereby to avo'i'dtrapping of the air within the centrifu- P P- The T-section -4- is provided with a screen or' grid extending diagonally acrossthe interior thereof from top to bottom and fr'omsi'de' to' side so as to extend acrossthe upper end of. the sump chamber 6-.,an'd acr'ossfthe lowersidefof; the port 9. to preventthejpa's'sage of sticks and othenobjecm through the conduit -3 to the pump 1 which might impair or otherwise reducethe'eificiency of'saidpump;

That is, thegridior screen -16' extends from the lower side ofcthe T-se c tion at the, inner side of. the sump; -6 upwardlly andoutwardly across the interior of the section to the upperside of said -'T-, at the outer, side of theopening 9- so that any objects entering the outer end ofthe -T which might interfere with the operation of the pump if allowed to pass thereto are deflected downardly into the sump chamber which is provided atits lower end with a removableca orplug 1 7':- to permitaccumulations o, refus'eto be removed therefrom fromtime to time as may berequired.

Afloat 1 8,-, preferably, of' wood, or equivalent material of appreciably less s e cific avity than water, is movable vertically within the stand pipe 5--Iby"the accumulationsof water therein and is provided at its upper end with a substantially semi-s herical tip or valve member -l9- of rub r or equivalentmaterial capable of automatically seating in the lower end of the port 11-- to close the same when thefloat -18 is elevated by an excess quantity of water in the stand pipe 5--.

This float operated valve 19- constitutes the automatic means forpreventin the pasduit 3 intothe vacuum pump.. The "c heck valve .1 4- constitutes themeans for preventing the backflow ofair'or other fluid from the mit the freepassage of water and air'therethrough.

The float ma -menus major portion oi the length of the stand pipe -5 and noriao approximately two-thirds of the height of the float due to the suction of the vacuum pump, said float will be buoyed upwardly to close the valve 19 against the seat -11 aided by the suction of the vacuum pump and thereby to effectively prevent passage of water from the stand pipe to the vacuum pump Operation As previously stated, the pumps -1- and -2- may be initially primed in any suitable manner to render them effective and when in operation the pump -1- will draw the water through the pipe 43- and grid -16- into said pump and discharge the same outwardly through the discharge pipe 7-, the check valve -9- being opened by the water pressure.

As the simultaneous operation of the pumps -1-- and 2 continues the vacuum pump 2- will withdraw the air from the pump -l-- through the conduits -3-- and -15 for priming purposes and at the same time a part of the water drawn into the conduit 3- may rise in the stand pipe -5-.

In case the water in the standpipe should rise above a predetermined level below the port -11- it will raise the float .18- and its valve --19- and cause the latter to close the port and thereby to prevent any possibility of the passage of this excess water from the stand pipe into the vacuum pump -2.

The pipes -15 are connected to the intermediate portions of the stand pipe 5- preferably above the top of the pump and allows the air to be withdrawn therethrough from the higher parts of the pump -l by the suction of the vacuum pump 2-.

When the water level in the stand pipe rises sufficiently to close the valve --19--, aided by the suction of the vacuum pump, communication between the stand pipe and vacuum pump will be temporarily out oif and any air entering the stand pipe through the spction pipe -4- will pass to the highest point of the stand pipe and will be trapped therein.

As the trapped air accumulates in the upper portion of the stand-pipe it will gradually depress thewater level therein (in this instance to about the level of the top of the pump --1-) until the float is permitted to descend by its own gravity for opening the valve 19-- and allowing the trapped air to be again withdrawn by the vacuum pump, these operations being repeated Whenever excess quantities of water and air are drawn into the stand pipe.

When the pump -1- is working under full'head the conditions previously described will maintain the float -18 in a more or less balanced position between the ports 9 and -l1 so as to assure the exhaustion of the air from the pump --1 and the suction pipe --3- for continuous priming purposes.

In case the apparatus is used in what is commonly known as open pumping which would allow more or less air to enter the intake pipe of the pump -1-- this excess air is instantly withdrawn from the pump by the vacuumpump --2- so as to keep the pump --1- in a constantly primed condition.

Although I have shown and described a specific construction of pumping apparatus it is obvious that various changes may be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a pumping system, a centrifugal hydraulic pump having an intake conduit and a discharge conduit, the intake conduit being provided with a sump, and a baitie screen within the intake conduit between the sump and pump, said intake conduit having alined I the upper opening for receiving liquid and air from the intake conduit and its upper end provided with a port, a self-opening floatvalve adapted to be closed and opened by the rise and fall of liquid in the stand-pipe above a predetermined level, a vacuum pump connected to said port, and means for operating both umps in unison.

3. n a pumping system a centrifugal hydraulic pump having an intake conduit and a discharge conduit, the intake conduit being provided with a sump, and having alined openings in its upper and lower sides, a battle screen extending diagonally across the interior of the intake conduit from the outer side of the upper opening to the inner side of the lower opening, the sumpbeing connected to the lower opening, and an air exhaust device connected to the upper opening.

4:. The combination. with a hydraulic pump having an intake conduit and an outlet conduit, the intake conduit having an opening in its upper side, an upright tube having its lower end secured directly to the intake conduit around said opening for receiving liquid therefrom and its upper end provided with a suction port, a, float reciprocally movable axially of and within said tube as the liquid therein rises and falls and having its upper end provided" a suction pump operatively' connected to said port with a, valve controlling said port, for maintaining constant suction therein irrespective of the position of the float, and a screen extending across said opening and adjacent portion of theinterior o the intake conduit to prevent the passage of chips, stones and the like into the hydrau-- licpump and tube,

In witness whereof I have hereunto set'my hand this20th day of November, 1928.

' THOMAS F. MOORE. 

